Artwork
Resurrection of Christ
Resurrection of Christ is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Benvenuto Tisi. It dates from 1520 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work aligns with contemporary religious iconography, using light, gesture, and emblematic objects to articulate the doctrine of resurrection.
The painting depicts the Resurrection of Jesus, showing Christ rising from the tomb while soldiers lie unconscious or avert their gaze. A radiant halo surrounds Christ’s head, emphasizing his divine status, while the banner he holds, a white cloth with a red cross, symbolizes victory over death and triumph of the Resurrection. The fallen guards underscore the moment’s supernatural power, their varied postures conveying shock and defeat.
The composition centers on the risen figure, whose upward gesture and billowing drapery direct attention to heaven, reinforcing the theological theme of Christ’s conquest of sin and death. The work aligns with contemporary religious iconography, using light, gesture, and emblematic objects to articulate the doctrine of resurrection.
Technique & Style
The Resurrection of Christ is executed in oil paint on panel, a combination characteristic of early sixteenth-century Italian devotional painting. The work is rendered on a vertically oriented support measuring 325 cm in height and 190 cm in width, giving the composition a tall, narrow format suited to its religious subject. Its genre is classified as religious art, with the principal subject being the Resurrection of Jesus. The painting belongs to the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Sources do not provide further details on specific handling of paint, surface condition, stylistic attributes, or preparatory layers, so those aspects cannot be elaborated here.
History & Provenance
The Resurrection of Christ is an oil-on-panel painting created by Benvenuto Tisi, known as Il Garofalo, in 1520. The work was executed as a religious piece depicting the Resurrection of Jesus. It is currently held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The painting measures 325 cm in height and 190 cm in width.
The painting Resurrection of Christ by Benvenuto Tisi is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Created in 1520, the work is executed in oil paint on panel and measures 325 cm in height by 190 cm in width. The provided sources confirm its location within this specific institution but do not list a specific inventory or accession number. Furthermore, no information regarding the exhibition history of this artwork is available in the current documentation.
Legacy
The work's later influence, reputation, and legacy are anchored in its continued presence in major collections and scholarly discourse. It entered the Kunsthistorisches Museum's holdings, where it remains part of the permanent display, contributing to ongoing research on Renaissance religious painting. The attribution to Benvenuto Tisi, known as Il Garofalo, has been refined through art historical study, solidifying its place within the broader narrative of 16th-century Italian art.
The painting's depiction of the Resurrection of Jesus continues to be referenced in studies of devotional imagery and the evolution of religious representation in European art.
Overview
Benvenuto Tisi, known as Il Garofalo, executed this oil painting titled Resurrection of Christ in 1520. The work depicts the risen Christ emerging from a stone sarcophagus, clad in a white robe and holding a bannered staff that signifies his victory over death. He stands centrally, dominating the composition with a serene, elevated posture.
Surrounding the tomb in the foreground are soldiers and witnesses reacting with a mixture of awe and alarm; their varied poses and gestures create a dynamic contrast to the stillness of the divine figure. The background extends into a detailed landscape featuring rolling mountains and architectural structures, characteristic of the artist's integration of sacred narrative with the Ferrarese tradition of atmospheric depth. Created during the High Renaissance, this piece reflects Garofalo's mature style, balancing the emotional intensity of the Mannerist transition with the balanced composition of his earlier work.
The painting serves as a significant example of religious art from the artist's later career, demonstrating his skill in rendering light, texture, and the psychological states of the figures within a cohesive spatial arrangement.
Artist & collection
Artist
Benvenuto Tisi (Italian:; 1481 – September 6, 1559), also known as Il Garofalo (Italian: ), was a Late-Renaissance-Mannerist Italian painter of the School of Ferrara.
